This invention relates to a printer and facsimile apparatus using the printer and, more particularly to a printer which performs printing in accordance with an ink-jet printing method and facsimile apparatus using the printer.
Conventional printers, which perform printing in accordance with an ink-jet printing method (ink-jet printers) and facsimile apparatuses using the ink-jet printer, perform ink detection or ink-discharge status detection by using a photo-interruptive type sensor. The existence/absence of residual ink within the apparatus is determined based on the detection result. If it is determined that the ink is exhausted, printing operation is stopped, and notification is made to request a user to supply ink. For example, a message requesting to exchange an ink tank or ink cartridge is displayed, or an alarm lamp is turned on, or alarm sound is emitted.
In this ink detection, sometimes it is erroneously determined that the ink is exhausted (referred to "erroneous detection") although the ink actually remains due to change of capacity of ink cartridge, change of the operational environment where the apparatus is placed, change of incident angle of extraneous light incident upon the apparatus. To prevent this erroneous detection, the position for ink detection by using the photo-interrupter type sensor is adjusted when the ink cartridge is exchanged for a new cartridge.
However, in the conventional art, the adjustment on the ink detection position is performed only when the ink cartridge is exchanged for new one. In a case where the ink-cartridge capacity or the apparatus' operational environment has changed but the ink cartridge has not been exchanged for new one, still it is erroneously determined that the ink has exhausted although the ink actually remains.
Accordingly, the facsimile apparatus, using the printer as its printing unit, does not perform printing with respect to image data received after such erroneous detection, and the received data is stored into an image memory. If this continues for a long time, the image memory becomes full, and finally the reception operation cannot be performed until the ink cartridge is exchanged for new one.
Further, in a case where the result of ink detection has abruptly changed from "ink remains" to "ink exhausted", if there is no spare ink cartridge or ink tank, ink replacement cannot be performed immediately. If this occurs, in case of printer, "print-disable" status continues for hours. In case of facsimile apparatus, after the image memory has been filled with received image data, reception operation cannot be normally performed any longer, accordingly, received image data is lost.
Further, in a facsimile apparatus, if print control is performed to continue printing even with very little amount of residual ink, the quality of printed image is degraded. If the printed image is illegible, the print sheet is wasted; in addition, the facsimile apparatus determines that print operation has been normally performed and deletes received image data from the image memory. Thus the received image data cannot be restored.
Further, in a color printer and a facsimile apparatus having the color printer to realize a color printing function, ink-discharge condition such as ink-discharge amount, discharge frequency, discharge speed, and ink-characteristic conditions such as ink density, reflection light, transmission light amount and the like, are different dependent upon each color ink. This disturbs accurate ink detection.